Returning To Katahdin: An Appalachian Trail Dream

Spring appears to be constantly derailed by late winter blasts on the Appalachian Trail this year but Bruce's spirit remains high. The two of us caught up twice this week, and by the second time he had reached Pearisburg. Each week I've been noticing that his confidence has grown and he has come through his baptism of snow with a renewed enthusiasm. Bruce visited the Woods Hole Hostel, a place that I missed but one around which he deliberately planned his trip. He wasn't disappointed by what he found.  If you have questions for Bruce–and many of you seem to–please email me at steve@mightyblueontheat.com and I'll try to make sure that Bruce answers them all. If your question is chosen you'll receive two trail meals from Trailtopia. If you'd like to know more about Trailtopia, please visit their site; you won't be disappointed. 

Bruce and Steve caught up just once this week, but it was just in time to catch him celebrating a big milestone in his hike. He is now hiking well, the weather is warming, and his weight is plummeting.   He has gone through the gorgeous Grayson Highlands (above)–ponies and all–and is embracing all aspects of his hike. Steve and Bruce discuss the beauty of the area, as Steve reminisces about the area and gives Bruce something of a preview of the next few days. Despite the fact that he has passed the 500-mile mark, Bruce still hasn't felt the hiker hunger that normally accompanies such exertion. He's losing weight at quite a pace, yet feels great. If you want to find out more about his journey–and how you can contribute to his fund-raiser for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy–visit his site at RTKChallenge.com. While you're there, why not hop on over to our sponsor, Trailtopia's site to plan the food for your next hike.

Bruce has reached Damascus and is resting for a couple of zero days, taking in the Masters Golf Tournament on TV at the same time. He is expressing confidence in what he has learned on the trail to this stage and feels that Damascus is the end of the beginning.  We talk about his Winter Supplement; those items specifically chosen to help him cope with the cold should there be any. So far, snow, rain, and cold have been the predominant weather characteristics, so he remains grateful to his preparation. Don't forget to follow Bruce's YouTube channel if you'd like to see some of the dreadful weather Bruce has been facing, and read his blog, at RTKchallenge.com for more insights and pictures (as we don't seem to have any this week). As always, we are so grateful for the generosity and support of Trailtopia in their support for our shows.     

Bruce has certainly had his share of lousy weather so far but he has remained upbeat most of the time. We caught up with him twice again and he experienced the unpredictable nature of weather in the mountains. He noticed the first signs of an imminent Spring and even ran into my old buddy from the Fat Guys group last year, Vagabond Jack.    Bruce is now hiking around one of my favorite spots on the trail; both north and south from Carvers Gap. He posted a great picture of the spruce forest on the top of Unaka Mountain, a view I recall so well from my time on the trail four years ago. That very spot resonated so much with me and elicited memories all around that area. I recall that going into that forest I was a little nervous about how dark it was but, once I was in there, it was a delight to make my way along the path. As always, we thank our sponsors, Trailtopia for their unstinting support of our shows, so please check out the variety of food that they offer hikers. The great news this week is that our ne

We had a few communications problems this week, with dropped calls, interrupted sessions and even the mowing crew outside my home causing a few editing difficulties. Despite this, Bruce is making strong progress, passing the 300 mile mark and well past Hot Springs. To give you some idea of the weather that he has faced, this photo shows his tent after a nighttime snowfall.    It has not all been cold days and nights. When we spoke on Tuesday, Bruce had found a good spot to chat on the top of Snowbird Mountain.   A listener, John Dupras, came up with a burning question for Bruce, so much so that he had to take something of a timeout to formulate his response. If you're reading this, John, thanks for the question and please send me your email so that I can get a couple of meals sent to you. The Hiking Radio Network published two new shows this week. First, Anna Huthmaker, the inspirational woman who started Trail Dames, is starting her own show. Anna is interviewing strong, equally inspirational women for her m

By Friday of this week I hadn't heard from Bruce and, knowing that there was some fiercely cold weather in the region, I was starting to get a little concerned for him. I needn't have worried. He's about as prepared as a man could be for this journey and eventually got through to me at lunchtime on Friday. In the meantime, I had spoken with his lovely daughter, Brooke. She has spent the previous weekend with her father on his journey and they had had a blast. You can see from the photos that Bruce sent me that he's certainly needed his microspikes, with the snow turning to ice and giving him tricky conditions underfoot. The really great thing is that he is having a blast, learning as he progresses, and his gear is working out for him. Make sure you catch up with Bruce's blog at rtkchallenge.com and check out the great trail food options from our sponsor, Trailtopia.  

My first conversation with Bruce on this week was when he was halfway up Albert Mountain, at the 100-mile point. He had already experienced a tough climb out of Bly Gap and felt that it had been tougher. What he didn't know at the time was that it is the second part of the Albert Mountain Climb that really tests you. He sounded really well and a few pictures from his Facebook page endorsed that view. He was happy with the way his gear was working and all his choices were performing as expected. One thing that Bruce mentioned was the tiredness that sometimes engulfs you fter a hard day's hike. I know that feeling well and just seeing his tent made me yawn. The second time that we spoke he had his daughter, Brooke with him. She had just turned up and his joy at having a hiking buddy was palpable. He'd had a very, very long-time-ago deja vu at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and had negotiated the climb out of NOC really well. As you'd imagine with Bruce, everything was going to plan. You can read more about Bruc

I was able to catch up twice with Bruce this week. He's made solid progress and is, not surprisingly for this "man with a plan," precisely where he’d planned to be at this stage. He had anticipated that his second night on the trail would establish his mindset that he was really in the woods for an extended period of time. For that evening, he found himself stealth camping, with a gorgeous view, along with several other hikers. The journey was really on and this was his view that evening.   There then followed a period of rather worrying (for me) radio silence. I needn't have worried and Bruce eventually reached out. Our second conversation (which was interrupted when Bruce had to find a better, less windy spot) showed him to be happy with his progress and his hike. These are early days and there is still plenty of tough climbing to follow, so we'll be checking his progress in the coming weeks as he settles into the rhythm of his hike. Don't forget to check in on Bruce’s blog, which is going to be regularly u

It has been a long time coming but Bruce is finally on his way. I spoke with him, along with his wife Cheryl on Saturday, 24 February as they prepared to hit the Approach Trail at Amicolola Falls State Park. All the preparation had lead to this and Bruce was ready to go. How lovely it must have been for him when two listeners of the show, Robert and Margaret Thomas showed up to wish them Happy Trails. What a kind gesture that was.   After taking in the atmosphere at the bottom of the mountain and registering as the 292nd hiker of the 2018 season, Bruce and Cheryl set off. Several hours later, carrying day packs and fresher than I expected, they got to the top and had the obligatory picture by the famous green plaque. I often look at my version of this and I always smile. So he's away! Late on Sunday, I also had a brief chat with Cheryl as she returned home. She'd become a little emotional as he left and even recorded the scene. Click the link below to see his first steps with his full pack. https://youtu.be/

With just seven days to go, Bruce and Steve have a longer-than-normal chat about his going-away party, his final thoughts and wishes for his journey, as well as some of the ramifications that his hike may have on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. While I had found him to be stressed and distracted on his home territory when I visited him in Virginia last Friday, he was completely different when we spoke yesterday (Sunday). He seemed to be thoroughly in the zone and counting his blessings, not least of which were his friends and family who attended last Friday's send-off. As you can see below, he has what he calls a kilt but, to anybody with even passable eyesight, it is clearly a skirt. Nice!! Bruce knows that the hike is to fulfill a long-cherished ambition, but he also wants to leave a legacy that will go beyond that personal ambition. If you want to support his efforts on behalf of ATC, you can visit his RTKChallenge.com page or simply go to this link on the ATC site and you'll be in the right place to

We have a special guest today. With Bruce continuing the countdown to his departure in less than two weeks, Suzanne Dixon, the new President and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, spoke with Steve about the work that she and her great team at ATC are doing. Every hiker who has ever stepped on the AT should be grateful for the sterling work done by the ATC over their nearly-100-year history. Suzanne shares the ongoing work that she and her team are undertaking to make the trail more accessible to a wider diversity of age and ethnicity. She is especially enthusiastic about the non-partisan collaboration with the Federal Government and the potential for the economic revival of many of the towns along the trail. Bruce will be back with us next week, in our last conversation before he sets off. Make sure that you follow his blog at rtkchallenge.com, where you will also be able to hear our podcast and contribute to his fundraising for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. While you’re online, we’d also be delig

With less than three weeks to go, Bruce is down to the last few items he wants to complete his pack. These are the things that he has to balance between carrying the extra weight for the additional boost to his hike that they will provide. He is also narrowing down any "luxury" items. With all this talk about hiking and gear, we thought we'd add a few pics of Bruce in the woods (and on a few mountains) and some of the gear he is taking. As you can see below, he's looking very relaxed sitting next to his tent. Bruce’s blog is now regularly updated. You can find it at rtkchallenge.com, where you will also be able to hear our podcast and contribute to his fundraising for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. While you’re online, we’d also be delighted if you’d check out Trailtopia.com and consider the wonderful food choices that they have for your next hike.  

With everything coming together, Steve and Bruce turn their attention to the supply, resupply, and the delivery systems that Bruce will take with him with regard to food. He will be receiving packages from home at intervals and decide once he gets to his home state of Virginia whether or not he wants to continue the practice. There are plenty of places to come off the trai, so resupply in towns is a very viable option. Bruce has brought his attention to detail to his selection of items for cooking and filtering his water. His choice of stove is the MSR Reactor, shown below. The almost ubiquitous filtration system is the Sawyer Squeeze. I had one for my hike and, paired with a "Smart" water bottle, it is the most efficient way of quickly getting clean water from a stream (or a pond) into your water bottle. Several people have remarked that the Mini Squeeze isn't as efficient (read: fast), so the original Squeeze seems to be the way to go. Bruce sets out in only 25 days and his blog is getting more attention

Bruce's planning has included the very real possibility, indeed certainty, that he will face some extreme weather by heading out so early. To that end, he has built a Winter Supplement that brings in certain items that will later be changed when the warmer weather arrives. You can see his Winter Supplement at this Geargram link https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=38901 We discuss the various items and I weigh in on the subject with a number of my experiences in the cold in 2014. Elizabeth McDonough provided Bruce with trhis week's question so, Elizabeth, send me your address to steve@mightyblueontheat.com. Don't forget, if you want to support Bruce's hike with a donation to the ATC, his website, ReturningToKatahdin.com, has all the details you need. Once you get there, click on Support and you'll be there. Otherwise, you can simply click here to be taken directly to the support page, then click on the large ATC sign to donate. Next week, we'll be talking food and resupply. Talking of food, don't forget to look

We're on to Bruce's choice of gear, with the Big Three uppermost in his mind. These are the tent, the backpack, and the sleeping bag. As always with Bruce, he has put a lot of thought into these choices. His rationale for his choice of tent came from a remark of an REI employee. Always worth listening to the experts! Bruce chose his tent of a couple of years, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2. There is now an updated model.     His backpack, the Osprey Atmos AG 65L, consistently rates very highly and Bruce makes the point that what it lacks in lightness is more than offset in the efficiency of the weight distribution. This is a timely reminder that simply saving weight is NOT the ultimate answer.       For his sleeping bag, Bruce opted for the Mountain Hardware Phantom 15. I love how cosy this bag looks. He'll certainly be needing it in those early months. This should be very comfortable down to 15 degrees, but will be further improved by a liner.     Last, but definitely not least, Bruce has opted for the K

The premise for this week's show mirrors a popular show in the UK for the past 75 years. Bruce has chosen just eight "discs" to take with him on his journey. Limiting himself to just eight was a real challenge. So much so that he came up with a list of 24. This man is REALLY thorough!! We also had a question from Judy Mikesell. Make sure that you send my your address, Judy, so that Trailtopia can send you a couple of their delicious meals. Don't forget to keep sending in questions for Bruce and make sure that you check out Trailtopia's site so that you can even make your choice. If you'd like to learn more about Bruce and his hike, visit ReturningToKatahdin.com. 

This week, we talk about the various fears–or maybe just concerns–that afflict hikers when they prepare to head out into the woods for six months. Bruce is so well prepared and has considered many of the things that may happen while he is away. Yet he still finds a few things that will make him keep a watchful eye, particularly in the first few weeks. Nobody takes on an adventure like this without a few niggling thoughts at the back of your mind. For those who worry about animals; the tick is probably the worst one to come into contact with. Bears and snakes want no part of you, really, while moose will leave you with your mouth wide open in utter awe should you be lucky enough to run into one. My hiking buddies and I saw this little beauty in New Hampshire. Click here. For some reason, the stand-alone video of the moose seems to have disappeared from my YouTube account, so I've linked you to the spot where he appears in a longer film of my journey. Rick Watts and Kristen Gardena got to ask their questions th

This week, in our Christmas Day show, what could be more appropriate than hearing from Bruce's family and what they think about Bruce's upcoming thru-hike. I quickly learned that they share Bruce's confidence in his meticulous preparation. However, once our interview was over, one of his daughters shared a few things that I wasn't expecting. It turns out that, despite his many accomplishments, Bruce is just one of four highly accomplished family members. His wife and daughters had their own individual takes, but each was supportive and confident in Bruce's readiness. If you'd like to learn more about the hike and read Bruce's blog, head over to ReturningToKatahdin.com. Don't forget to also visit our sponsor's site at Trailtopia.com.

Bruce and Steve discuss the impact upon the trail that some of the super-fast hikers may have engendered. Bruce is a bit of a self-confessed Appalachian Trail nerd, with interest in the various hikers who have lowered the FKT records over the years. He, of course, is hoping to set a record of his own. While the preparation for such a hike is extensive, Bruce has managed to put together a plan to raise $250,000 for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. He recognizes that this may put further pressure on him but is determined to enjoy his hike first and foremost. Steve has his own theory as to why Bruce sometimes seems a little reserved on the show. A recent encounter on the golf course informed his view and he shares it here. With Christmas Day soon to be upon us, next week we'll have Bruce's wiife, Cheryl, and daughters, Brooke and Amy, to share their thoughts on his upcoming adventure. Remember to visting our sponsors, Trailtopia, online as well as Bruce's site, Returning To Katahdin for more information.  

Bruce and Steve discuss the possibility of boredom on the trail and how Bruce may cope with it should it arise. He has a "novel" solution to the problem. This question was from listener Eliza Newland, so thanks for that Eliza. She wins two of Trailtopia's scrumptious meals. Remember to keep sending in your questions as there'll be two meals given away each week. After dealing with boredom, Bruce and Steve are all about the gear, with Bruce's planning acumen to the fore. He has what he calls a "Working Gear List" that records his various options, constantly refining those options until he is sure he has what he wants. There are compromises to make, with the weight of something balanced against its utility value or even its status as a comfort item. With the focus constantly on getting to Katahdin, Bruce sees everything through that lens. If you're interested in learning more about Bruce's approach to the hike visit his website, ReturningToKatahdin.com, where you can sign up for his newsletter. While you're the